The House passed a bipartisan package of children’s online safety bills in a 267-117 vote on Monday, advancing legislation that supporters say will better protect children online but critics warn could threaten privacy and free expression.Limited time: Save 25% on NBC News subscriptionGet exclusive reporting, live Q&As and ad-free reading.The bipartisan Kids Internet and Digital Safety (KIDS) Act, championed by its sponsors as a way to protect children online and hold major technology companies accountable, would require new safety features and parental controls on online platforms, restrict the use of minors’ data for targeted advertising, require age verification for pornography websites and establish new rules governing AI chatbots and online games.“This is a major step toward a safer online world for kids, making safety the default, giving parents more tools to protect their children and teens, and holding Big Tech accountable,” the House Committee on Energy and Commerce wrote in a social media post announcing its win.The House package reflects a narrower approach than the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), which was previously approved by the Senate.House lawmakers removed provisions, including a controversial “duty of care” requirement for online platforms, that supporters said would have more aggressively regulated technology companies.The KIDS Act, which was introduced in March, gained traction as social platforms face increasing legal pressure to add more safeguards to ensure children’s safety.
Rising scrutiny of platforms’ ability to protect children online has fueled a wave of age-verification laws around the world.Add NBC News to GoogleKOSA is designed to protect kids online.
Here’s why these kids are banding together against the bill05:25Those measures, however, have alarmed privacy advocates, who argue that age-gating the internet affects all users—not just children.“The package of cobbled-together bills is a mess, with differe...